Locanda, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

Locanda, created by the same people who made Delfina famous years ago, have generated a lot of buzz with their latest venture. So much, I was unsure if I was having dinner with LoKo on a Monday night or Saturday. I've never seen a restaurant so packed on a Monday with even a camera crew doing some filming outside when we left. I guess this could account for the spotty service throughout the evening, but for the most part, the food made up for it.

Pizza Bianca

We had to request it, but eventually received our pizza bianca (which is their bread offering). It was fine the first time, but a bit cold. The second serving was warmer and tasted better, so I could only imagine if they actually served their pizza bianca hot, it would be delicious. 

Poached Duck Egg

The one appetizer that really intrigued me was the poached duck egg. Although LoKo doesn't like eggs, she was very agreeable to give it a try. The runny yolk was a good textural contrast to the crunchy flavorful squash. It was a tasty starter but I would probably give something else a try next time. 

Fettuccine rabbit sugo

We ordered two different pastas, the first a fettuccine rabbit sugo. A very light, flavor filled dish with delicately fresh noodles, and tender juicy rabbit. LoKo described her first taste of rabbit as excellent dark thigh chicken meat. The dish just worked well, tasty, balanced and well executed. My only complaint was there was a thin homogenized layer of the buttery sauce on both dishes had formed because they must have been ready at least five minutes before being served. Not a huge deal, but just little details from a service perspective that Locanda can improve upon. 

Veal Casonceilli alla Saltimbocca

The second pasta was stuffed with veal, prosciutto, and sage. Extremely aromatic, beautifully presented and despite the heavy components, surprisingly light. Two very good pasta offerings, both fresh, tasty and satisfying without being too heavy. 

Guinea Hen Leg pancetta, cicoria

We debated between selecting the ox tail off the qvinto qvarto (fifth quarter) section of the menu and the guinea hen leg. We ended up picking the hen leg and glad we did because it was excellent. Extremely moist and savory, the delicious fowl maintained a juicy interior with a crisp, salty exterior from the pancetta. The lentils were great as well, making this the best dish of the night. And after two pastas, a perfect size to share.

Warm Chocolate Cake, maple syrup, curried walnuts

We shared a warm chocolate cake for dessert which was the most boring, unspectacular bite of the night. The curried walnuts were candied and crunchy but overall I'd recommend a different dessert.

The very good food makes Locanda's hype warranted, but there are some service issues that need to be addressed. Since the food was delectable already, they could only get better by hitting the table earlier. But I can't fault them for their concept or the excellent flavors I tasted and thought it was better food overall than my meal at Delfina a few months prior. It is a bit pricier than your typical causal Italian restaurant, but assuming you get a table, you should check it out.

Rating 7.5/10

July 25, 2011